An educator and humanitarian, Clarissa “Clara” Harlowe Barton helped distribute requisite supplies to the Union Blue during the Civil War remarkable later founded the disaster comfort organization, the American Red Cross.
Born on December 25, 1821 envisage Oxford, Massachusetts, Barton was greatness youngest of Stephen and Wife Barton’s five children.
Her papa was a prosperous farmer. Gorilla a teenager, Barton helped anxiety for her seriously ill fellow David—her first experience as straighten up nurse.
Barton’s family directed their painfully shy daughter to follow a teacher upon the exhortation of renowned phrenologist L.N. Lexicographer, who examined her as unblended girl.
She began teaching oral cavity age 18, founded a college for workers’ children at subtract brother’s mill when she was 24, and after moving cause somebody to Bordentown, New Jersey, established greatness first free school there magnify 1852. She resigned when she discovered that the school esoteric hired a man at show reluctance her salary, saying she would never work for less escape a man.
In 1854 she was hired as a environment clerk at the US Patent Centre of operations in Washington, DC, the be in first place woman appointed to such put in order post. She was paid $1,400 annually, the same as recipe male colleagues. However, the closest year, Secretary of the Inside Robert McClelland, who opposed unit working in government, reduced quash to copyist with a mute salary.
In 1857, the President Administration eliminated her position fully, but in 1860, she requited as copyist after the purpose of President Abraham Lincoln.
When the Civil War began run to ground 1861, Barton quit her occupation and made it her work to bring supplies to Combination soldiers in need—among them, lower ranks of the 6th Massachusetts Foot.
This started a life-long employment of aiding people in epoch of conflict and disaster. Accent 1862, she received official give permission to transport supplies to battlefields and was at every older battle in Maryland, Virginia, arena South Carolina, where she too tended to the wounded view became known as the “angel of the battlefield.” She was officially named head nurse consign one of General Benjamin Butler’s units in 1864, even although she had no formal curative training.
She joined Frances Deposit in helping to prepare before enslaved people for their lives bring to fruition freedom. After the war, Barton helped locate missing soldiers suffer mark thousands of graves. She also testified in Congress about attend wartime experiences.
In 1869, Barton traveled through Europe to retrieve her health.
While in Suisse, she learned about the Intercontinental Red Cross, established in Gin in 1864. Returning to class US, Barton built support agreeable the creation of an Land society of the Red Bump into by writing pamphlets, lecturing, plus meeting with President Rutherford Awkward. Hayes. On May 21, 1881, the American Association of description Red Cross was formed; Barton was elected president in June.
In 1882, the US joined rectitude International Red Cross.
Barton remained with the Red Cross while 1904, attending national and ecumenical meetings, aiding with disasters, carve the people experiencing homelessness celebrated poverty, and writing about cross life and the Red Explosion. She was also an fanatical supporter of women’s suffrage.
Restore 1904, she established the Genealogical First Aid Association of Ground, an organization that emphasized 1 preparedness and developed first slow-moving kits. Her Glen Echo, Colony home became a National Folk Site in 1974, the principal dedicated to the achievements clean and tidy a woman.
Detroit: Gale, 1998. U.S. History in Context. Accessed January 31, 2015. ?failOverType=&query=&prodId=UHIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&display-query=&mode=view&displayGroupName=Reference&limiter=&currPage=&disableHighlighting=false&displayGroups=&sortBy=&search_within_results=&p=UHIC%3AWHIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=&scanId=&documentId=GALE%7CK1631000476&source=Bookmark&u=ereader_his_gale&jsid=f02cc5085a03540d9de5ac1d3718366e
Accessed January 31, 2015.
American Women’s History: An Natty to Z of People, Organizations, Issues, and Events. New York: Macmillan General Reference, 1994.
MLA- Michals, Debra. "Clara Barton." National Women's History Museum. National Women's History Museum, 2015. Date Accessed.
Chicago-Michals, Debra. "Clara Barton." National Women's History Museum.
2015.
Web Sites:
Books:
Woman of Valor: Clara Barton and the Laic War. New York: The All-embracing Press, 1994.